Hey guys - it's been a while since I've posted here, although I read regularly.. Unfortunately the reason I'm here is because after 3 years of ownership I had my first mild heart attack when I got a CEL this weekend. My car is at 135,000km and while driving home from work Friday it showed up.

I scanned the code and it was p2070 intake manifold valve stuck open. I kept it off the road for a couple days while I researched what that meant. I now know more about what the ssv is and how much carbon can build up on it, the cleaning procedures, etc...The code has gone away after about 25km of driving but I have some questions.

The day this happened was probably about -15c, I can imagine this might contribute to a dirty ssv being stuck. It seemed to clear after some driving in around 0c temps. Does that make sense?

Despite the code going away I imagine the ssv is probably dirty anyways. I was preparing myself for a ssv cleaning but it would be difficult to perform in this weather. I could likely do it come spring, but would it make sense to try something like a seafoam in the meantime to help? Or should I really try to get the ssv cleaned asap? I'm not really sure of the effect of a dirty ssv other than rough idle and loss of power, both of which i did not experience.

To add to this I also have seen a coolant light on my dash but it quickly goes away about 10 seconds after starting the car. I also think that my driver side seat heater has stopped working. My 8 needs some tlc..

Just thought I'd get some thoughts on the situation, thanks!

 

Absolutely. When I first dealt with a stuck SSV is was most noticeable when the outside temps were colder.

Seafoam won't help because the fluid never reaches the SSV itself when injected into the maintenance ports.
Try to manually cycle the valve (DIYs on that) and get a feel if its really sticking or not.
I was able to buy some time by removing the UIM so I could see the valve up top, then sprayed carb cleaner onto the valve while cycling it by hand (or a screwdriver if you can't reach it). Won't get all of the buildup, but might give you a few months until the temps get warmer. Just depends on the amount of buildup.
Also, spraying carb cleaner on the valve helps to free it, but all the buildup runs down into your engine. Don't be surprised if it takes several cranks to get the motor running (almost treat it like a flooded engine).

Like I mentioned above... really does depend on how much buildup there is and how the car is running. If it doesn't seem to give you drive-ability issues, I wouldn't worry about cleaning it right away.

When I worked on a car with a sticking SSV, I would always experience idle issues and the car stalled a lot... like everytime I pressed on the clutch pedal, the RPMs would just drop all the way and stall. When I removed the UIM and looked at the SSV, the valve was stuck closed and could not be cycled at all by hand. Had to literally pry the stuck valve open while spraying carb cleaner on it until it eventually cycled by hand. If your's gets to that point, its time to act.

 

Hey Jon,

I read several of your posts last night, which is where i learned most about this issue - so thank you for all your help then and now!

I'm guessing that the symptoms depend on if the ssv is stuck open or closed. I'm guessing stuck closed you would see impact above 3500rpm when it is supposed to open to breathe more, and stuck open might impact idle due to air/fuel ratios?

I had my engine compression checked before i bought the car and the results were great. As kms rise, and now with an issue like this, I'm wondering about some preventative carbon maintenance. I'm always changing oil on time and topping up regularly, but maybe a summer project will be ssv clean and seafoam. Any issues in doing this as 'preventative' rather than as problem fix?

 

Guess that depends on your comfort level.
Many have done this (following my SSV DIY) with little to no complications and have mentioned doing it as a preventative maintenance routine.

I would cycle the valve manually and see where you're at first.
If its free with no resistance, but you feel a little intimidated with doing the removal, then I would say don't bother until its actually sticking.
But if it does feel a little rough, then look into cleaning it once the weather warms up. Check out the local/regional threads around your area and see if others are willing to help or have done it before and can lend a hand.

Good luck and keep us posted!